BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — A man who grabbed then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's podium and posed for photographs during the U.S. Capitol riot is running for county office in Florida. Adam Johnson filed to run as a Republican for an at-large seat on the Manatee County Commission on Tuesday, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the January 6 riot, where he was photographed smiling and waving while carrying Pelosi's podium after the pro-Trump mob's attack on January 6, 2021. Johnson stated that filing on January 6 was not a coincidence and mentioned it's good for publicity. His campaign logo features an outline of the viral photograph of him with the podium.
He is not the first person involved in the January 6 riot to pursue public office, as several others have previously run, though unsuccessfully, for positions within the Republican Party. Further, reports indicate signs that the Republican Party is becoming more welcoming to those who were convicted of crimes related to the Capitol riot after receiving pardons from former President Donald Trump.
Johnson stood in the Capitol Rotunda with the podium pretending to make a speech, an act he later downplayed. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to entering and remaining in a restricted area, which he likened to jaywalking. In an interview, he asserted, I think I exercised my First Amendment right to speak and protest.
After his release from a 75-day prison term, Johnson filed a lawsuit against Manatee County regarding allegations of mismanagement and high property taxes, claiming the current county leaders are wasteful. Johnson also expressed awareness that he would face more scrutiny than any other candidate in the upcoming racial landscape that includes deep political factions even as he aims to spotlight local governance issues.
He is not the first person involved in the January 6 riot to pursue public office, as several others have previously run, though unsuccessfully, for positions within the Republican Party. Further, reports indicate signs that the Republican Party is becoming more welcoming to those who were convicted of crimes related to the Capitol riot after receiving pardons from former President Donald Trump.
Johnson stood in the Capitol Rotunda with the podium pretending to make a speech, an act he later downplayed. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to entering and remaining in a restricted area, which he likened to jaywalking. In an interview, he asserted, I think I exercised my First Amendment right to speak and protest.
After his release from a 75-day prison term, Johnson filed a lawsuit against Manatee County regarding allegations of mismanagement and high property taxes, claiming the current county leaders are wasteful. Johnson also expressed awareness that he would face more scrutiny than any other candidate in the upcoming racial landscape that includes deep political factions even as he aims to spotlight local governance issues.
